spark knock dist. position

Wrong.

Too much advance under load puts holes in pistons, bends connecting rods & spins rod bearings. That's what's happening when you hear your motor making that characteristic rattling sound. The exploding mixture in the combustion chamber is meeting the piston as it is still rising upwards on the compression stroke.

LPB,

Let us know how that timing control works. I was contemplating buying one of those.

OK, I got my advance and retard right. I installed the MSD 8680 and used an extention wire 8860. I can set the knob in the center and adjust my timing 7 degrees up or 7 degrees down. I have eliminated all knocking and pinging and I can start it slightly advanced to reduce drag on the starter, then turn it down, for a nice lopeing sound... I have a pic posted under does200's post "retard"

quote:

8860. I can set the knob in the center and adjust my timing 7 degrees up or 7 degrees down. I have eliminated all knocking and pinging and I can start it slightly advanced to reduce drag on the starter,

You are still slightly confused; draging starter is too much initial, adding advance makes it worse.

If your initial is too advanced, but the final is right, consider opening up the span on the final and retard the whole distributer to reduce the initial and get the final back where it was, instead of playing fighter pilot.

Alternatively, you may have too much vac advance; the dashpot should be adjustable. If its adding 15-20 degrees that may be too much...10-15 may be more suitable.

Are you sensing ported or manifold vacuum?

You are still slightly confused; draging starter is too much initial, adding advance makes it worse.

If your initial is too advanced, but the final is right, consider opening up the span on the final and retard the whole distributer to reduce the initial and get the final back where it was, instead of playing fighter pilot.

Alternatively, you may have too much vac advance; the dashpot should be adjustable. If its adding 15-20 degrees that may be too much...10-15 may be more suitable.

Are you sensing ported or manifold vacuum?[/QUOTE] No vacuum, all centrifical.. OK, I just got back from a test drive...under heavy load 3500 rpm uphill ...I can set the knob in the center and it eliminates spark knock, and it starts ok in that position. I would suspect that if I had better fuel I could advance a bit and if I have less octane I could reduce it from the Fighter Pilots cockpit!

I hope this is the end of this story... I was driving at speed and had to retard my timing to stop the ping. I let the car cool and the distributor is loose again? This time instead of just tightning the hold down ..I pulled the bolt out and found the little chrome hold down was made of soft metal and BENT. I have replaced it with a genuine Ford part. No wonder my timing was always changing.